Return from the underworld العودة من العالم السفلي
Goldilocks شتيله – كتيلة – صفيراChiliadenus IphionoidesLeast Concern غير مهدد بالإنقراضMOT موتReturn from the underworld العودة من العالم السفلي Ba’ali Series #3 *Ba’ali series was created following an art installation called ‘Ba’ali,’ which I made for Darat Al Fanun’s “Re-rooting” exhibition curated by Rana Beiruti that runs from March 1st to September 30th, 2022,…
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The shadow of the sun ظل الشمس
Golden Chamomile بابونجMatricaria Aurea Least Concern غير مهدد بالإنقراضSHAPASH شمس / شاباشBa’ali Series #2 *Ba’ali series was created following an art installation called ‘Ba’ali,’ which I made for Darat Al Fanun’s “Re-rooting” exhibition curated by Rana Beiruti that runs from March 1st to September 30th, 2022. Each blog post will be a standalone…
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The sanctity of trees حرمة الشجر
Wild Pistachios بطم اطلسي – بطم عدسي Pistacia Lentiscus / Pistacia Atlantica Critically Endangered / Near Threatened نوع قريب من الخطر / نوع مهدد بخطر انقراض أقصىنوع مهدد بالانقراض بدرجة خطورة عاليةAsherah اشره Ba’ali series 1 *Ba’ali series was created following an art installation called ‘Ba’ali,’ which I made for Darat Al Fanun’s “Re-rooting” exhibition curated by…
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REMEMBERING AND REIMAGINING CHRISTMAS
For the last few months of 2021 I began a new food design program called Fabrakat, a partnership between the GOETHE institute and Namliyeh. It’s been a fascinating journey into food, and the myriad systems and ideas that surround our current food ways, while finding new ways to see and / or rethink these systems. …
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The Voices of Plants in the Levant
Had a great time speaking to my dear friend Soha Al-Jurf, on her new podcast, The Voice of All Things. Soha has this amazing way of helping you get to the essence of yourself. Through her questions and presence, I share with her in this episode about how I have been discovering the voice of…
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Remembrance is Resistance
A conversation with the Yoga Mandala Project community. Shared about my experience and journey connecting to ancestors through remembrance, plants, land, stories, mythologies and food. Remembrance is resistance because it is a direct action against the erasure of indigenous cultures. Can listen to the full talk here:
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Yoga Cafe Podcast – The importance of telling our stories
Was great to join my dear friend Rula on her Yoga Cafe podcast. We had a wonderful conversation about remembering and connecting to our ancestral plants and foods, telling our stories as Palestinians, and some issues in the so called “wellness and yoga communities” that lead people to not speak up. Check out full episode…
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Palestinian Films – a non exhaustive list
I took these lists, copied and pasted from some I saw on social media. Will keep adding to it. We have been trying to tell our stories for so long. Please watch, and listen! You can also get a subscription to http://www.shashamovies.com which is not only Palestinian films, it is SWANA cinema in general. I…
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Hawthorn زعرور
Lately I have been in love with the Hawthorn tree, زعرور in Arabic (za3rour). This beautiful thorny tree has leaves that look like parsley, sharp thorny branches, and edible berries that grow in the fall. It grows wild in various parts of Jordan, and can be found all over the Dibeen forest (the video…
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Lent – Spring
Growing up for Lent, we were often encouraged to give something up for the 40 day fast before Easter. Giving up chocolate for an extended period of time, for me is always a big accomplishment. While I haven’t fasted or given anything up for lent in a very long time, I am fascinated by the…
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Plants with Mary in their name
Lately I have been fascinated by all the plants that have references to Mary in their names. Rosemary, Meramieh (Arabic for sage), Bukhoor Maryam (Arabic for Maryams incense referring to the native cyclamen flower – will discuss at a later point). There seem to be so many references to Mary, even to plants that don’t…
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A tradition of grains under the Christmas Tree
For Christmas my grandmother used to take seeds, like barley, wheat or chickpeas, while still in their shells, and lay them out on a tray over cotton, water them, place them in the sun until the seeds sprouted and the grains began to grow. She would then place this under the Christmas tree. This year…
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Trauma Support Video Series
These videos were a collective effort between Aziza Bisanz and I, with the support of Layla Feghali. They were inspired by the people in Beirut after the Beirut Explosion this past August and are for anyone in the world experiencing anxiety, a sense of disconnection, deep sadness or who wants to practice presence and grounding.…
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A dream about the wound that has no name and a plant whose name I discovered after a year and a half of searching
The other night I dreamt I was in a bookshop and was watching a woman do a site specific performance, she kept talking about a group of people who had been displaced. About how another group of people would find an empty home, that was somehow a blessing for them, but they should beware this…
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On true resilience, a crown of thorns, a date dessert – and a phoenix that needs to rest
*language note, use of the letter “3” indicates the Arabic letter “ع” Recently I discovered a link between the resurrection story of Jesus, the phoenix, true resilience, and a sweet dessert that Christians and Muslims make on every Eid (holiday) called ka3ak bi 3ajwa. When I told my mom that I wanted to make ka3ak…
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Zaatar Cookies & Equinox
The month of September always hits me hard. There’s something about the shift of seasons, the equinox and this time of year that has the same effect on me, year after year. At the equinox the night time and the day time are equal. The sunshine of the summer months can almost have an insomnia…
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The Medicine is in the Food
I know this is a privileged thing to say, but quarantine was so good for me. When Jordan went on lockdown I went to go stay with my mother. Hanging out with her, having absolutely no chance for any kind of FOMO, spending expedient amounts of time in the kitchen, and starting a course called…
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